MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama and Troy will finally meet in the Battle for the Belt on Saturday, two months after the original date, when the Jaguars host the Trojans at 1 p.m. at Hancock Whitney Stadium.
South Alabama (4-6, 3-4 Sun Belt Conference) and Troy (4-5, 2-3 Sun Belt) were scheduled to play Oct. 3, but that game was postponed because of COVID-19. It will be broadcast on ESPN3, with radio coverage on Sports Talk 99.5 FM, 96.1 The Rocket and the iHeartRadio app.
Troy has won the last two meetings in the series. The Trojans opened as a 1-point favorite, and the line has moved to 4.5 points.
A Late-Season Rivalry Game
For the first time in the series, the rivalry game will be played late in the season rather than near the start of conference play. The game was first rescheduled for Dec. 12, which would have made it the regular-season finale for both schools. Troy instead will play Coastal Carolina on Dec. 12, so the Battle for the Belt was moved to Dec. 5.
Teams Heading in Opposite Directions
South Alabama snapped a four-game losing streak last Saturday with its first win ever in Jonesboro, Ark., against Arkansas State. The Jaguars sealed the victory with a sack as time expired while the Red Wolves had the ball inside the South Alabama 10-yard line.
Against Arkansas State, the Jaguars threw for 387 yards and allowed two sacks. Wide receiver Jalen Tolbert set a school single-game record with 252 receiving yards on 10 catches, with three touchdowns, the shortest of them covering 37 yards. Kawaan Baker caught South Alabama’s other touchdown pass. The Jaguars ran for 99 yards, led by Carlos Davis with 31 yards on 12 carries. South Alabama had allowed 25 sacks over its previous six games.
Troy has lost three straight games. Last Saturday, Appalachian State beat the Trojans 47-10 in Boone, N.C., rushing for 275 yards while holding Troy to 106 on the ground.
Troy Offense
Gunnar Watson has completed 152 of 223 passes for 1,584 yards with 12 touchdowns and six interceptions. Against Appalachian State, he was 13 of 20 for 125 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Jacob Free, a 6-foot-5, 217-pound junior, has completed 79 of 134 passes for 957 yards with five touchdowns and four interceptions. Free last played Nov. 7 against Georgia Southern, when he completed 21 of 47 passes with two interceptions, and he missed last week’s game because of an illness. During fall camp, Troy coach Chip Lindsey said his starting quarterback would be the one who “can lead the team up and down the field and score.”
Troy averages 282.3 passing yards, 102.6 rushing yards and 384.9 total yards per game while scoring 26 points per game.
True freshman Kimani Vidal, the Trojans’ leading rusher with 393 yards and three touchdowns on 67 carries, has missed the last two games. BJ Smith has 277 yards and three touchdowns on 73 carries. Kaylon Geiger leads the receivers with 48 catches for 598 yards and two touchdowns. Reggie Todd and Khalil McClain each have 29 catches and five touchdown receptions, with Todd totaling 380 yards and McClain 350.
Troy Defense
The Trojans allow 233.7 passing yards, 177.8 rushing yards and 411.4 total yards per game, and 26.8 points per game. Opponents have converted 36% of their third downs (48 of 132). South Alabama’s offense has converted 40% of its third-down attempts (61 of 152).
Linebacker Carlton Martial leads Troy with 78 tackles, 40 of them solo, along with 7.5 tackles for loss, three pass breakups and two quarterback hurries. Fellow linebacker Jayden McDonald has 59 tackles, 36 solo, with four tackles for loss, a pass breakup and two quarterback hurries. Troy has 15 sacks as a team.
Jaguars Injury Report
South Alabama could be short-handed on offense. Quarterback Desmond Trotter is expected to return, though it is unclear whether he will be at full strength. Wide receiver Kawaan Baker appears to have suffered a partially torn MCL and is unlikely to play. Tight end Brandon Crum, the most productive pass catcher at his position, will miss the game because of COVID-19 contact tracing.
On defense, linebacker Riley Cole has said he will be ready to play Saturday, though it is not known whether he will be cleared. Christian Bell is likely to miss the game.
The Jaguars have been on the positive side of the turnover margin over their last two games, though they remain negative for the season.
